Testimony
by ET-Dragon
Summary: (Hiatus) Hiccup has a past. A past that he wants to forget. A past he wants to leave behind. A past he hasn't ever shared with anyone. When he starts his first semester at Berk University he meets a few people who always seem to be open and willing to share their struggles with each other. Will Hiccup finally open up to his new friends or will he continue to struggle in silence?
1. Prologue

_First day of class. I've got this. I've been working so hard to achieve this. I made it this far._

Those were the thoughts streaming through Henry 'Hiccup' Horrendous Haddock the III's head as he hefted his old, beaten, backpack up higher on his shoulder. Hiccup was setting foot, for the very first time, on to Berk University's campus. The school was a small institute as far as universities go. The College of Engineering, however, was well known throughout the archipelago as well as the science program. Hiccup couldn't believe he got in.

Given his circumstances, he had a reason be miffed. Hiccup had a rough time trying to achieve his goals. Now he has a part time job as a cashier at the Forge, a local garage, lives on campus in a freshmen dorm (with an admittedly quirky roommate), and is taking fifteen hours of college course work in the degree program of his dreams. How did he land himself in such a wonderful spot in life? He wasn't sure. Perhaps there was some sort of deity up there that may like him after all.

 _Nah._ Hiccup abandoned that thought quickly. _Why would a god take favor in me now? If a god liked me, he would have helped me out a lot sooner. No, it must be luck that brought me here. And hard work._

The young student gave a firm nod before limping to his first class. He was thankful that his dorm was so close to the science building. Then again, the campus was small; all the buildings were fairly close to his dormitory building. Hiccup was grateful he didn't have to walk far and that there were benches along the way so he could rest his leg if necessary. His prosthetic was a bit old and no longer fit properly often causing him pain and discomfort. He was currently saving up for a new one.

Hiccup walked into class and sat in a middle row, off to the side. He was fairly early but there were already a few students sitting in various places around the room. No one spoke. Everyone merely played on their phone or computer. Hiccup longed for his own computer where he could do his school work and create his own designs for a new prosthetic. That would have to wait until after he got his textbooks. For now, he could use the computers in the library.

As time went on more and more students arrived. The professor arrived twelve minutes late much to the annoyance of the rest of Hiccup's classmates. If the professor was late by fifteen minutes, the class would be considered cancelled according to campus rules and students could leave. Hiccup, however, was relieved and happy to be finally participating in something he enjoyed: learning. He would have liked to have taken a class that involved lab work but he had to take this lecture class as a prerequisite. The class carried on with more grumbles as the professor went over the syllabus and class expectations. The class ended three hours later and the students were released. They were expected to be on time at nine in the morning every Monday.

Hiccup had three more classes to attend, all of which were only an hour and a half long and held three days a week instead of just one. His day went on similarly in each class until he finished at half past six o'clock. He had one more eight o'clock class Tuesday mornings that also lasted three hours. He wasn't looking forward to Tuesday's class as the subject matter was not something he excelled in: English literature and writing. He couldn't wait for his freshmen courses to be finished and out of the way.

After eating a bit at the cafeteria Hiccup made his way back to his dorm. He wanted to get back to his sketchbook and release a bit of anxiety before he went to sleep. He decided he would work on his homework for an hour or so tomorrow after his 8am and before he had to go to work. He wasn't sure if his roommate was in or not. He hoped he wasn't. He wasn't very social and while he knew he would eventually have to socialize with him, he hoped to put off any kind of interaction as long as possible.

Frederick Ingerman, or Fishlegs as he introduces himself for reasons unknown, was not yet back from his own studies once Hiccup got back to his room. He was again grateful for the privacy and decided to take off his prosthetic left leg and massage the residual limb. He knew that eventually Fishlegs would have to see the stump eventually, but he'd like to put that interaction off as long as possible. He was self-conscious about his disability and he hated that there weren't enough normal dorm rooms for the rest of the student body. He would have preferred to have the handicap accessible room all to himself but Fishlegs was a late entry and was assigned Hiccup as his roommate.

 _Fishlegs doesn't even have a handicap,_ thought Hiccup bitterly. He was pretty certain that he was the only handicap student in the building and while he was guaranteed a handicap room, every other on-campus resident filled in every empty bed in every room, handicap accessible or not.

The auburn-haired boy left the prosthesis laying on the floor by his bed while he sat on top of his covers with his sketchbook in hand. He began sketching out faces he could remember from the day. He drew brief sketches of his professors and was working on a more detailed drawing of his roommate when said roommate finally entered an hour later.

Fishlegs scuffled about dumping his backpack and laptop on his bed and began searching for his charger when he spotted Hiccup's prosthesis laying on the floor. From their brief introduction that morning upon Fishlegs' late arrival they hardly had time before classes started to get to know each other. Fishlegs paused in his search his mouth forming a small 'o' shape. He then looked up to see his roommate with one whole right leg dangling over the side of the bed while wearing an intense, focused expression on his face looking at a sketchbook.

Stating what was quite obvious Fishlegs said "you only have one leg," as if this was news for everyone in the room.

Hiccup looked up at the husky blonde student and rolled his eyes. "We _are_ s-staying in a handicap accessible r-room Fish. And m-my crutches are leaning in the c-corner along with m-my wheelchair like they have b-b-been since you've moved your s-stuff in this m-morning." He gestured to the equipment in the corner of the small room.

Fishlegs gave a slight nod giving a silent "ah" of understanding. He moved to continue his search and says distractedly "So, I figure we should get to know each other a bit more since, you know, we're spending the next two semesters together."

Hiccup rolled his eyes a second time and went back to his drawing. "W-What would you l-llike to know?" he asks. He didn't know why he was being so difficult. He supposed it was because his handicap had been revealed a little too soon for his liking.

Fishlegs bent down to look under his bed and gave a small "Yes!" In victory upon finding his charger. He began plugging in his laptop as he asks "Are you a freshman?"

Hiccup bit down on his tongue when he wanted to state the obvious fact that they were in a dorm meant for freshmen but after thinking about the question he thought that there could be a few sophomores still choosing to live on campus. "Yes. You?" He responded.

"Sophomore," answered Fishlegs. He now sat on his bed facing his roommate while starting up the laptop. "Major?"

"B-Biomechanical Engineering." Hiccup appreciated the one-word responses. He wasn't yet ready to socialize yet and didn't want to have to explain himself. Also, his stutter got worse the longer he had to talk making conversation a bit more frustrating.

Fishlegs seemed to have other ideas. "That's cool. What's your reason behind that decision?" He regretted the decision to ask such a question when he saw his roommate give an annoyed glare to him and then down at his missing left leg. "Ah." He nodded and looked back down to his computer. He then ventured into a topic that was a bit of a touchy subject for the amputee, "H-How did you... you know, lose it?"

Said amputee dropped his sketchbook into his lap with an exasperated sigh. "I'd rather n-not talk about it," he responded irritably. He gripped his pencil tighter staring down at his lap.

"Sorry." Fishlegs muttered. He looked back down once again to his laptop.

There was silence that ran for a few moments as Hiccup picked up his sketchbook once more. He calmed a bit before asking "W-What are _you_ m-majoring in?"

Fishlegs gave a small smile while continuing to type on his computer. "Biomechanical Engineering."


	2. Chapter 1: English Class

**AN:**

 **Updates will be sporadic. (I have a crazy schedule.)**

 **I will be including some personal experiences.**

 **I don't really know anything about amputations but will try to do a bit of research.**

 **There will be Hiccstrid but that will not be the main focus of the story.**

 **This is a religious story.**

 **I don't own How to Train your Dragon or the characters. Just the plot.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **-ET**

English was awful. The professor started the class promptly at eight o'clock and speedily went through the syllabus before lecturing and assigning the students' first assignment. Their first paper was due in two weeks and the paper was supposed to cover what they expected to see in their future careers and why they chose them. To Hiccup, the answer was simple. The problem was that the paper had to be five to six pages long. How was he going to stretch his answer out that long? What's worse? After submitting their papers each student was going to receive someone else's submission to practice editing. They would be paired up and discuss how the other could improve their writing skills. Hiccup's embarrassment over his lack of skill in the subject would not only be revealed to his professor but to another classmate as well.

Frustrated, Hiccup left to go to the library to start his homework. As he was leaving the building a blonde, blue-eyed girl caught up with him. She looked to be an athlete of some sort wearing Nike leggings and t-shirt. She was pretty and Hiccup always had a hard time keeping his composure when talking to pretty girls. Why was she talking to him anyway?

"Hey," the girl greeted, "you're Henry, right?" She asked breathlessly. Hiccup knew he was a slow walker. The girl didn't need to hurry and catch up with him. Why did she have to act winded? Why did every girl have to sound so... so; Hiccup didn't have the word. Enchanting? Captivating? This girl was much more though. He couldn't understand why his palms suddenly started sweating or why his breath hitched at the sight of her. Sure, he got nervous with pretty girls but this blonde was striking and beautiful. She didn't wear makeup like a lot of other freshmen college girls did. She didn't need any beauty enhancers in Hiccup's opinion. She was perfect. Confident.

"Hello?" With a start Hiccup realized he took too long to answer. He had been staring, respectfully, into her eyes and had not answered her. The girl gave a small smirk when she saw him jump at her second attempt at a greeting.

"S-sorry," the nervous boy amended. "Y-yea, I'm Henry. Though p-people usually just call me H-Hiccup," he stuttered out. He always had a bit of a stutter and was decent at keeping the speech impediment under control but it always came out more when he was nervous.

The girl didn't seem to mind. "Oh, okay Hiccup. So, I know we were supposed to wait and edit papers after we submitted them but I was wondering if we could swap before-hand and do just a little bit of editing since, you know, the original submission will be graded on its own and the editing will be a different grade entirely. It's our first paper and I just want a second pair of eyes to look at mine before I submit it, you know? I just really want a good grade," she rambled on.

They stood there for a few moments while Hiccup tried to process what she was saying to him. While he liked the idea of someone helping him out with his paper before submission he couldn't understand why this girl would ask him of all people to help her with this. He assumed she knew his name from when the professor called role though he never really paid attention enough to catch his classmates' names. He tried to voice his confusion "W-What? I, uh, h-how do you know m-me?" Hiccup mentally cursed his stutter. "I m-mean-"

He was cut off by the blonde "Oh! Sorry." She gave a nervous laugh and a smile that took Hiccup's breath away. "My name is Astrid, Astrid Hofferson. We're paired up for the editing assignment. She posted the pairs on blackboard just before class. Didn't you see?" she asked him.

Hiccup hadn't seen. He still had to go to the library to look at his assignments online. "Oh. S-Sorry. I haven't l-l-looked yet. I was o-on my way to the l-library to look," he stated. Astrid looked confused.

"Oh. You didn't get a notification? They have a blackboard app for smart phones you know. You should download it." She gave another warm smile.

"I-I don't h-have a smart phone," Hiccup admitted. He awkwardly shuffled his feet looking down at the concrete. He was embarrassed. He tried to not ever be embarrassed by his circumstances because he had achieved so much despite it. Every time someone realized he wasn't as privileged as other students he would get looks of pity. He was proud of being independent and proud that he could take care of himself. He didn't want pity.

But Astrid didn't have a look of pity. She just seemed to accept the explanation with a nod. "That makes sense. So, want to meet up maybe next week and go over what progress we make on the paper together?"

Hiccup's eyes filled with gratitude towards the girl. She didn't question his outward appearance nor did she ponder about his lack of modern essentials. Most would give a second glance, a glare, a look of sympathy, or people would just continually study him in his rough torn jeans, faded t-shirt and shoes. Most university students wore what was new in fashion and donated what clothing they had that started to fade thinking they we doing a good deed when really, they just wanted to empty their closets. Hiccup knew the underlying reason for clothing donations but he was grateful none the less for his attire. Astrid never glanced down at his clothes or gave him pity or sympathetic glances. He liked this girl. For the first time in his life Hiccup may have just met someone who was not judgmental. He knew this was an impossibility as he just met her. At least she didn't outwardly show any criticism and he appreciated her.

"Y-yea, sure." He smiled back at her.

"Great! Where are you off to? I'll walk with you and we can talk details." Astrid turned to walk down the main entrance steps.

Hiccup then followed stuttering "the l-library."

"Oh right! You said that already," she said and gave another nervous laugh while she paused and waited for Hiccup to start descending the stairs.

He was slow and had to use the hand rail but Astrid was patient. She didn't seem to be in a hurry and again Hiccup felt thankful that she didn't question or become frustrated with his slowness in speech and physical capability. He always knew people had to have a lot of patience to deal with him on a daily basis and he was pleasantly surprised to meet someone who didn't mind his disabilities.

They walked together across campus to the library and made small talk and exchanged numbers. Astrid didn't do a double take at the sight of his flip phone like Hiccup expected her to. She never questioned why he had a limp. She rambled on about the frustrations that come with planning out her weekly schedule around softball practice while she sat next to him so he could rest his leg. She listened intently and with patience when he explained his own necessity in a free schedule for work. She explained the rules to him about her favorite sport. He explained the services he performed at the garage; his work place. She opened the door for him when they arrived at their destination. She smiled. His heart skipped beats.

Hiccup arrived to work with what passed for a skip in his step. Talking with Astrid was comfortable and pleasant. He still stuttered but not as much as he did when they first encountered each other. By the time he had to leave for work they had planned to meet after class next week to work on their respective papers and he also learned the rules to softball while she learned how to change oil on a standard vehicle. Hiccup was happy Astrid had an interest in what he liked to do and was happy to learn what she liked to do. He also promised to attend her next scrimmage game on Monday night two weeks out.

"Well, yer lookin' chipper this afternoon," bellowed a large man with a jolly Scottish accent. The man came up towards the front to greet his only employee. "Happy to be workin' in The Forge now, eh?" The Forge was the man's name for his little mechanic shop that rested a few blocks down from the college campus. The man clapped his one good hand on the back of the smaller boy nearly sending him flying. He gave a broad grin to the boy while scratching his long, blonde mustache with his prosthetic hook.

Hiccup gave a smile of his own while looking up at his employer. "A-Always am Gobber," stated the boy. He straightened himself before continuing on his path to the locker room in the back of the shop to put down his backpack.

The man, Gobber, waddled behind him. He also had a prosthetic leg like Hiccup but he was missing his right leg while Hiccup was missing his left. Gobber also had a prosthetic left hand both limbs lost during his time in the military. He liked to give different tales however on how he came to lose either limb. Hiccup never knew what to believe; the shark attack while he was in the navy or having them stuck in a sinking ship's engine while saving the violinists that were on board.

"Then what is it, laddie? I haven't seen ye this happy since I gave ye the job." He followed Hiccup into the locker room where he watched as Hiccup put his overalls on over his clothes to begin work.

"Why c-can't I just b-be in a good m-mood on a n-nice day?" Hiccup continued to smile while struggling to fit his prosthetic into the pant leg of his overalls. Nothing could dampen his mood. English class may have been disheartening but Astrid made the class worthwhile. His whole day had improved immensely since their meeting.

"Aye, ye can be but ye never are," explained Gobber bluntly. He chuckled when Hiccup gave him a glare. "So, is this about a young las?" Gobber gave a knowing look with a wink.

Hiccup dropped his shoulder strap he was trying to fasten and looked to his mentor with widened eyes. "H-how did you know?"

Gobber laughed openly at his shock. "That look ye have in yer eyes tells me everythin' lad." He smiled broadly once again showing his large choppers one being covered in gold. He claimed to have lost that tooth in a fist fight with Mike Tyson. Hiccup could never believe that story.

Hiccup went back to fixing his shoulder straps and gave a shrug. "Yea," he replied. "N-Nothing's going on b-between us though. W-We just met."

"Is she pretty?" Inquired Gobber with a smirk.

"Yes, Gobber, she's pretty," stated Hiccup exasperated. He never got truly annoyed with the man though. He respected his boss and was grateful for the chance he gave him to earn his keep.

When they first met Hiccup had just turned eighteen and was standing at his office door practically begging for employment. Hiccup was ready to show he knew what he was doing and Gobber gave him the job after realizing that not only was he skillful, he was truly desperate. After a few weeks Gobber noticed his new friend wore the same two pairs of pants and three shirts quite frequently and always the same shoes. He also noticed his limp and soon discovered his missing limb when he walked in on him doctoring his stump one day in the break room. While he couldn't afford to help pay for a new prosthetic, Gobber did give him two new pairs of pants as a Christmas gift that year and Hiccup was beyond thankful. Gobber also offered a place to stay if he ever needed one and while Hiccup had declined Gobber knew something was wrong with his living situation. He wasn't sure what his circumstances were but he allowed the student to use his home address when applying for the university without question. Hiccup never opened up about home life or how he was feeling but did talk quite a bit to the mechanic about other things such as his acceptance into the college and his excitement for the school year.

Once Hiccup was done getting his gear on they went to work. The day went on while they worked on cars and made conversation. His shift ended when the garage closed at nine. He was grateful he had a short work day. He finished off the day at the library finishing his homework before heading back to his dorm for bed.


	3. Chapter 2: Study Session

**AN: I've been trying to upload this for the last couple days. This is my billionth attempt. I don't know if any of you can tell yet but I am technologically challenged. Chapter 2 is finally here! I've just got to read through chapter 3 a second time to find any mistakes and then that will be posted tonight... hopefully. I've been having trouble uploading files.**

 **Anyway... Enjoy.**

 **-ET**

The week went on in an orderly fashion. He went to class and work and continued to go to the library to do his assignments. On Saturday he received a text message from Astrid asking if they could meet at the library. He informed her that he had to work but could meet after he got off around five.

Coming into work with a smile on his face Hiccup greeted Gobber before heading to the locker-room. Seeing the boy's obvious excitement, Gobber followed Hiccup to ask "So, lad, what's the reason behind that smile o' yers? It's quite big! Did ye speak to that lass again?" Gobber had a mischievous smile on his face as he studied his pupil.

Hiccup smiled even brighter and responded "Yea. S-She texted me." He hurried to get on his overalls so he could get to work. He hoped that Gobber may consider letting him go early if he finished his responsibilities and projects early enough. "We're m-meeting at the library to work on a p-p-project."

"The one about ye're future and all that?" asked the husky mechanic. "Have ye figured out what ye were goin' to write?"

"Sort of," answered Hiccup. He walked past Gobber to the tool kit at the side of the garage. He grabbed a few things to put in his tool pouch that he thought he may need to work on the Jeep currently pulled into the shop. "I have m-most of it done. I just n-need to add fluff."

"Fluff?" questioned Gobber with confusion. "What do ye mean fluff?" He copied Hiccup and started to fill up his own pouches before following him over to the Jeep.

"You know, fluff; s-s-stuff you p-put in between the important stuff to m-make it longer," Hiccup answered. He then turned to face his mentor and asked "So, what s-s-seems to be the p-problem with this one?" gesturing to the car.

"Not sure," answered Gobber turning to face the Jeep to open the hood. He continued "It's havin' trouble starting and when it does, it can't get enough horse power. I looked at the ignition and the starter. The battery is new. I don't get it." Hiccup started to lean over the engine. There was a moment of silence before Gobber spoke again. "So, is the lass to help you with the... uh... 'fluff' bit?"

Hiccup continued to study the engine and answered with a distracted "yes" before turning back to Gobber with a humorous smile. "Gobber, one of the s-spark plugs is detached," he laughed. "H-How did you n-not catch that?"

Gobber looked to the engine before slapping his forehead with his good hand. "Aye, I'm either blind or becoming an idjit," he sighed.

Hiccup gave a chuckle before reattaching the cable and tightening the fasten. After he finished he said "Start her up."

Gobber grabbed the keys off the rack near the office before attempting to get in the front seat. "Argh!" He gave a disgruntled shout. "The owner of this car must be a wee one. I can't fit!"

Hiccup laughed loudly at the sight of the bigger mechanic trying to squeeze his bulk in between the seat and the steering wheel. He then took the keys and got in the driver seat himself. "Or you m-might just be a little too-"

"Don't say it," interrupted the man.

Hiccup continued to chuckle as he started the engine. They heard a perfect purr.

o0o

Gobber let Hiccup off at around four, an hour before Astrid and him were to meet at the library. Hiccup limped his way across campus glad that he didn't have to rush and had time to rest when needed.

He hated the fact that he needed to stop and rest all the time. He hated being handicapped. He hated that word: Handicapped. Lame. Crippled. _Slow_. He was slow in speech and in pace. He hated being different. As he walked he passed by people who were laughing and talking at what he thought to be a really fast pace. Joggers whipped by him and other students simply _walked_ past him. He started to mutter to himself exercising out his annoying stutter. He wanted the speech impediment gone. He had been doing various exercises in an attempt to be rid of the inconvenience but he couldn't figure out how why they weren't working.

"I got m-m-m –ugh. I got my hair cut t-today –ah!" He continued to walk along the sidewalk with his head down trying to say the whole sentence without stuttering. He needed to practice. If he was going to make friends, he had to stop stuttering. He convinced himself that normal speech would solve his social problems. "I got my hair cut today and they c-cut it way t-t-too –ah!" Frustrated, Hiccup kicked a rock further up the walkway and nearly tripped up because of his prosthetic only to be saved by a strong, familiar, blonde female.

"Oops! Watch out!" Astrid looked down at Hiccup smiling. Hiccup's cheeks turned pink before he straightened up.

"S-S-Sorry," Hiccup apologized while cursing his stutter mentally. He fiddled with the hem of his faded, green sweater embarrassed.

"Hey, it's alright." Astrid ducked down to see his face that was pointed to the ground and offered him her stunning smile. "It was an accident. No harm done. I'm glad I ran into you actually."

"R-Really?" The boy looked up confused.

"Well, let's not make a habit out of _literally_ running into each other." The blonde giggled. Hiccup smiled in return. "Were you headed to the library?" she questioned.

Hiccup answered "Yea. Are you as w-w-well?"

"Yup!" Astrid replied excitedly. She was indeed a very joyful girl. Hiccup wanted to be that joyful. Where did she get all that joy? "Now we can walk together."

They turned to continue walking down the sidewalk side by side. Astrid was patient once again and matched the shorter boy's pace. He was certain that if he had a new prosthetic that they'd be at least the same height.

After a bit of silence Hiccup asked hesitantly "H-H-H-How w-was your day?"

"Oh, boring," the girl sighed. " I just went for a jog, did homework, you know, the usual. Though, most of my time was spent on my calculus homework." She sighed again and continued, "I suck at math and the professor doesn't really teach. He just has us watch lecture videos instead of doing them himself."

Hiccup perked up at this. He was good at math. He loved math. He could help. "I-I could help," he offers. "I t-took AP Calculus in s-s-school. I already h-have the credit." He looked back down as he started to rethink his offer. "Well, if you don't m-mind suffering through mmm-my stutter that is. I-I know it c-can get annoying."

"Oh, I don't mind," she reassures the boy. Astrid looks over to him. "I mean you kind of have to be patient with math too, right? It doesn't bother me Hiccup. Besides, friends accept each other for who they are. I don't think the stutter is much of a flaw Hiccup. You're pretty cool regardless." She smiles.

Hiccup's heart swelled as he looked back over to the blonde. "R-Really? It doesn't b-bother you?"

"Of course not! It's just an identifying characteristic. Just like your auburn hair or your freckles," Astrid explains. "I'm sure you identify me by certain things; my blonde hair, the hairband I always seem to be wearing, etcetera."

 _Like your smile and laughter,_ thought Hiccup. They continued to walk in quiet until they arrived at the library's front entrance. Astrid spoke up about his offer.

"I would really appreciate the help with my math homework. Maybe we can look at it after we edit our papers?" Hiccup could hear a bit of hopefulness in her voice and realized she really did want his help.

"S-Sure," replied Hiccup with a shy smile.

o0o

Astrid was good at writing. She was brilliant. Hiccup read her paper and there was not a flaw that he could find. He did discover that Astrid wanted to go into physical education or therapy. The topic of the paper was to cover what the writer wanted to do in the future and why and through reading the six-page paper he had discovered that her uncle Finn had to learn how to walk again after a grenade went off next to him in Iraq during a raiding mission. This inspired her to help those like him. Hiccup was also intrigued by the fact that she felt called to this field and that God had provided a way for her to accomplish her goals thus providing a clear, obvious career path. Though, the God bit was brief in the paper, this tidbit made him curious. He'd heard of God, even went to a few Sunday services when he was younger. He knew that this God supposedly loved people for reasons unknown and he sacrificed his son for everyone. He knew the stories but never realized that God could give direction. Or that people past the age of twelve even paid attention to those bible stories. He was curious but kept it to himself because he wasn't sure Astrid would appreciate him questioning her beliefs. He also thought the question may be too personal and he was sure Astrid didn't want her privacy to be invaded. Maybe if the topic ever came up in conversation he could ask what she thought of bible stories.

Hiccup's paper was hardly four pages long and he appreciated Astrid's constructive criticism written down in red ink. He also appreciated the fact that she never pushed for details about the accident that cost him his leg. He was also grateful that she didn't ask to see his leg. Many people had asked him in the past and he had always felt uncomfortable. He could tell she was surprised to learn he had such a handicap as he watched her read. His limp had always been obvious but because he hid the limb with long pants reaching past his ankle, people usually assumed that he just had a bum leg or a twisted ankle or knee.

He briefly wrote about his own experiences and his struggles in physical therapy in his paper and Astrid, due to her own knowledge on the subject, was able to provide more context. She did write notes down on how he should elaborate on why he didn't attend physical therapy as long as he should have but Hiccup did his best to cleverly avoid the topic. He focused on how prosthetics should be affordable and still comfortable; how he wanted to use recycled material to create prosthetics. Astrid also was able to rewrite certain sentences and paragraphs to make them longer and to fill the page; adding 'fluff' when needed.

They worked for a couple hours before moving onto calculus. Astrid really was struggling but picked up quickly with Hiccup's help. A short time later Hiccup's stomach made a strange sound causing a few heads to turn. He blushed and kept his head down.

"Someone must be hungry," said Astrid lightly. "I think my brain is fired from all this math. We're at the edge of the campus and I think there is a diner just across the street. Want to head over and have a burger? I'm hungry too."

Hiccup's heart stuttered along with his voice at the thought of going to dinner with Astrid even though he knew they were just friends. "I-I'd love to." He looked back down again, as was his habit, when he realized he couldn't afford to go. He had plenty of money from his financial aid return and a bit of money saved from his job but if he were to ever buy a new prosthetic leg then he couldn't spend any on food. "B-But I can't really afford t-to buy dinner. I'm s-saving for s-something." He looked up with a bit of hope. "Would you w-want to eat in the c-cafeteria?"

Astrid's face softened. "Oh, I don't have a meal-card. The campus only has one cafeteria and they keep it open for campus residents only. I commute from my parents' house."

"Oh." Hiccup looked down again.

"But," Astrid spoke up again smiling. "I could take care of the bill. I won't mind."

"A-Are you sure?" questioned Hiccup as he looked up hopefully.

"Yea. Think of it as a thank you for helping me with my homework." She smiled.

"B-But you helped m-me with my homework," said Hiccup.

"Yea but, you agreed to meet up when you didn't have to. Now come on! I'm hungry!" Astrid laughed as she started to put away her things.

"I d-don't have a ch-ch-choice, do I?" He smiled and chuckled while he started to put his own things away.

o0o


	4. Chapter 3: Invitation

**AN: I am so sorry this hasn't come sooner. Life has been pretty hectic. I feel anxious as this new year is starting. 2017 was pretty hard and looking forward to what God has planned, I'm a bit scared. I know God's got it but it can still be pretty hard. I'm still working on giving him control.**

 **Anyway. This was about a thousand words long but I ended up adding some in depth context at the end after getting some inspiration. Enjoy!**

 **-ET**

"Have you been here before Hiccup?" Astrid asked as they both entered the diner with a chime. The young duo walked from the library to the little diner hurriedly in hopes of getting a good table. Once they were inside they sat themselves down at a two-person booth near a window to view the dying sun. As winter draws closer the sun has been setting earlier and earlier in the day. Hiccup was glad they were able to catch the last few rays of the sun if only just to see the soft smile that graced Astrid's beautiful face as she looked out into the sky. After a few brief moments Astrid turned her gaze back towards Hiccup with a questioning look.

With a start, Hiccup realized he was asked a question. "What?"

The blonde girl giggled at the sight of Hiccup's blushing cheeks only to cause his cheeks to turn a darker crimson color. Did she catch him looking at her? "I asked if you had been here before," the girl stated.

Hiccup looked round and realized that, yes, he had been there before. The restaurant was a quaint little place with a few wobbly tables and shiny wooden flooring. The eating areas were kept well clean and the floor well swept. Berk Viking memorabilia decorated the pale blue walls.

"Oh. Uh… once," Hiccup replied nervously avoiding eye contact. "I went with m-m-my d-dad a few years ago." Why did he tell her that? Why couldn't he just say yes? _Oh, please don't ask about my father,_ thought Hiccup. He preferred one word responses yet, ever since meeting this girl, he can't seem to shut up. Sure, he doesn't really initiate any conversation but he always seems to have the need to satisfy the young beauty. He really needs to get this whole crush thing together before he spills out everything about himself. "I-I-I really d-don't know what's good here anymore," he says in hopes to divert the conversation away from the subject of family.

As the boy gave his response a waitress came up to their table setting down two menus. "Hello! My name is Shelby and I will be serving you tonight," the brunette greeted them cheerfully. "Do you know what you'd like to drink?"

"I'll take sweat tea please," Astrid requested politely. Do her cheeks hurt when she smiles like that all the time?

"W-Water p-please," said Hiccup timidly. Why was he so nervous? He wasn't on a date. He and Astrid were friends. Just friends.

The waitress gave him an odd look, brows furrowed. "I'm sorry. I don't think I caught that."

Hiccup stuck his chin out a little further and repeated himself, "I-I asked for w-w-water p-please." He hated repeating himself. He was taking a guess as to why she had him say his request again. The waitress probably heard his order the first time. She just wanted to hear his stutter. Why people find exposing weaknesses entertaining Hiccup will never know. _Stupid stutter._ He turned his face back down towards the table.

The server, Shelby, gave a snort and turned away without another word to go fulfill their drink orders. Hiccup heard what may have been a growl and glanced up towards Astrid. That was the first time he ever saw her scowl. He was glad that the look was directed to the back of the waitress and not him. "The nerve of some people…," he heard her mumble. This gave Hiccup a reason to hold a small smile. She really cared.

"It's alright," he assured her. "I-I get it a l-lot."

"No, it's not alright." She looks over to him. "It's good that you don't get angry at that sort of stuff. I know I do. But you shouldn't let someone walk all over you either."

There was silence as they picked up their menus. The silence was broken by Astrid as she asked "See anything you like?"

"N-Not sure."

"I like the chicken quesadilla and french-fries."

"I-I guess I c-could give that a shot."

As they placed down their menus Astrid's smile returned. "Great! You'll love it!"

Hiccup was grateful when she ordered for the both of them.

o0o

Hiccup was laughing. _Laughing_. He couldn't remember the last time he laughed this loud and pure. Business had picked up since they arrived at the diner so the noise level had already risen. He held nothing back as Astrid told a story on how her friends, Rachel and Tyler –respectfully known as Ruffnut and Tuffnut– were now proud owners of a giant traffic cone.

"And so, I'm minding my own business sitting in the backseat and..." Astrid cuts herself off so she could release a bit of her own laughter. "… and the next thing I know the car has stopped and Ruff opens the backdoor and starts shoving this giant round orange traffic cone into the car and it's in my face. And, get this..." She raises a finger "… it doesn't fit!" Hiccup laughs harder than before, smiling from ear to ear. "So, I'm holding on to one end and Ruffnut gets back into the passenger seat and holds the backdoor closed so the cone doesn't fall out while Tuffnut makes our getaway."

As their laughter dies off Hiccup states "I-I think I'd like to m-meet these guys."

"Yea. They're something alright," replies Astrid. She turns to face him. "Do you want to know their reasoning?" Hiccup nodded knowing that their reasoning was probably not very valid. "They said it was because Berk had way too many traffic cones. There's always something wrong with the roads so they said that they just wanted to 'relieve Berk' of just one of its many stresses. Berk didn't need so many cones." They chuckled for a while longer.

Hiccup sipped on his water. He knew he was awful at starting conversations but he didn't want to stop talking with this beautiful girl in front of him. To his relief Astrid seemed to always know how to carry on the conversation without any awkward pauses. Hiccup liked her even more for this quality.

Astrid was about to continue when her eyes caught sight of someone entering the diner. "Fishlegs?" A soft smile appeared on her face. Hiccup turned towards the door to see his roommate walk in.

"Hey Astrid. Oh! Hi Hiccup. You guys know each other?" Fishlegs went over to stand by Astrid.

Astrid responds "Yea. Hiccup and I are partners for an English assignment. How do you know Hiccup?"

"We're roommates," explained Fishlegs. He turned to his roommate and upon seeing his slightly confused expression he explained further "Astrid and I attend the same bible study group." He gestured to Astrid and himself. Hiccup gave a nod in understanding.

Hiccup took this information in and his mind went back to Astrid's paper and how her faith in God influenced her life and direction. He then thought back to his first day walking to his first class. He remembered his thoughts on how he had gotten to this point with his own achievements. He knew that both Astrid and Fishlegs must have worked hard to get into Berk University. The engineering department is very hard to get into and after reading Astrid's paper, he knew she worked hard as well. Yet, she wrote about how God was the one responsible. How was this possible? Does Fishlegs also feel this way about his accomplishments? Needless to say, Hiccup had many questions.

"Oh, we should invite you to our church homegroup Hiccup. Would you like to go? You can meet some more of our friends," said Astrid interrupting Hiccup's thoughts. Hiccup gave a soft smile and nodded. What better way to get the answers to his questions without having to stutter through asking them?

o0o

Hiccup sat on his bed in his dorm room alone. Fishlegs had some sort of church meeting to go to. Hiccup didn't mind having alone time. He used this time to think on a few things involving his new-found friendship with the two blondes. Hiccup thought back to when he had who he thought were friends and compared them to his current selections. He tried to define friendship as he sat there fingering his journal.

What was friendship? What did it mean to have friends? What do friends do for each other? His old friends usually associated with Hiccup for their own benefit. Usually this meant free answers to test questions or having homework done for them. His closest friend seemed to always dump his issues on the poor boy. While Hiccup appreciated the trust his friend had in him, he wished he had room to express himself as well rather than being someone's crutch. Hiccup hadn't realized how much he had been used until he was preparing to leave for Berk. He realized how crushed he felt. He tried to open up to his supposedly best friend but was shut down. Wasn't friendship supposed to work two ways or did people seek friendship in hopes of having personal gain? The latter was Hiccup's experience.

These two new people seem to have stuck a wedge in front of his closing doors. This alarmed the young student because he was very certain that, before meeting them, his doors were already securely closed and locked. How did they open? His doors were now open just a crack as if the resident –Hiccup himself–were peering out cautiously to see who had been knocking. Hiccup had the funny feeling that Fishlegs and Astrid were not the people who had been waiting at his doorstep; merely messengers; the heralds announcing the arrival of someone important. Yet they never used words.

Hiccup had never seen people who radiated such joy. The mere presence of his new friends uplifted him and made him want what they had. But what was it that they had? What or who made them this way? They were accepting and gracious and kind. They were... undefined. An adjective he had yet to encounter. He hoped he would find a definition come Thursday. That was when their 'homegroup' would meet for the first time that semester. He felt that a lot of his answers will be found at this 'bible study.' His friends seemed to be very excited about starting the group up again.

As his thoughts drifted from one universal question to the next, Hiccup opened his journal to write down what was baffling him. Who dare knock on a door that had been closed for so long?

o0o

Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."

Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

 **AN: People are prone to temptations, tragedy, weaknesses, etc. A friend loves you even in your weaknesses. Friendship, I believe, involves fellowship as well. Friendship involves lifting one another up and to empathize and understand one another.**

 **The definition I'm going for for Fishlegs, Astrid and for other characters that will be introduced is 'Christ like.' Being Christ like simply means following Jesus and doing what Jesus would do. This is not to be a gloating sort of description. Rather it is meant to glorify God as Christians attempt to become like Christ; not for self-glorification but out of love for Christ.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next few should be pretty deep and may be longer than the usual 2,000 words each.**

 **-ET**


	5. Chapter 4: Reunion

**AN: It has been way too long. Sorry guys. I will say again like I have on my profile, updates will be random. I don't know when they will ever be posted.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has left reviews and are liking and following my story. It truly means a lot especially since I really don't have a lot experience doing this sort of thing.**

 **I wanted to give a shout-out to Plasma Snow. You have developed your writing style and skill at an exponential rate with your last few updates to your current story 'Racing to the Light' and I really saw it grow in '100 Fan shots.' I really like what you do and appreciate your messages and notes. Thanks so much.**

 **Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.**

 **-ET**

"Ready?" Fishlegs directed his question to Hiccup as he picked up his car keys on his bedside table.

Hiccup paused while putting on his old brown jacket and eyed the car keys Fishlegs was holding. "I-I thought you s-said it was just off c-campus," said the shy boy. "I didn't know we w-would h-have to d-drive."

Fishlegs inspected Hiccup's timid form. Something was off. Didn't the young mechanic say he had always wanted a Jeep just the other day? Fishlegs was interested in what Hiccup did for a living other than go to school and they were soon talking about what their dream car would be. Due to Hiccup's obvious passion for motor vehicles Fishlegs assumed he loved to go anywhere in an automobile. So, why did the mechanic seem nervous about their upcoming car ride? Fishlegs took a moment to process the boy's question before answering. "Well, yea but I figured this would be quicker than walking. Also, I wasn't sure whether or not you're… you know… leg would hold up." His voice was timid as he expressed his worry.

Hiccup couldn't deny that he would have had to have a break or two while walking to their destination but they were leaving around twenty minutes earlier than what was usually necessary. He had guessed that his disability was the reason for their early departure. "Oh. I-I thought that was the r-reason we were l-l-leaving early." He struggled to control his stutter as his anxiety grew. He didn't want to ride in a car with someone else driving.

"Oh. No, I have to get there early. I'm on the leadership team and we usually try to get there early to greet people," replied Fishlegs. He watched as his roommate fiddled with his jacket zipper nervously. That jacket was so old, he doubted the zipper still worked. His guess was proved correct when the boy threw down his hands in mild frustration. "Are you okay?"

"Yea, I'm f-fine. Let's just g-go," said Hiccup without looking up. He headed for the door. When Fishlegs didn't immediately follow Hiccup turned to him. "Coming?"

The larger boy stood a moment longer in bewilderment before following. His concern never abated.

o0o

Hiccup sat stiffly in the passenger seat of Fishleg's old Saturn, a vehicle far too small for the blonde's round bulk. The engine made an odd groaning sound as they made their last turn onto Astrid's street. Their first meet would be at her house. As soon as they parked behind a white Ford Explorer, assumingly belonging to Astrid, Hiccup unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. Once he was outside he heaved a great sigh of relief. The ride had been silent as they drove along. Fishlegs stayed quiet as he felt the inability to break the sudden awkwardness of having a seemingly terrified passenger sitting next to him. Now that they were both out of the car Hiccup stayed standing in one spot waiting for Fishlegs to lead the way.

The house was of an average size with a second story. The living room was spacious with a high ceiling and light-colored walls. There were two couches and an arm chair centered around a central entertainment unit above the fireplace. The dining chairs were brought in to have enough seating for everyone. Extra throw pillows were strategically placed around the room and on the floor. The house had an open floor plan and one could easily look into the kitchen to see the center island had snacks piled high for people to enjoy. After taking a look round Hiccup now understood that this gathering was to have twenty to twenty-five people joining, not the small amount of ten or so like he had first assumed. His anxiety level had calmed some once he was out of the old cursed vehicle and has now risen again upon realizing how much socializing he had to do.

He looked anxiously over at Fishlegs who was making his way over to the snack table to see what goodies Astrid and her parents provided. "Uh, F-Fishlegs?" Once the smaller boy had the attention of the larger he asked "How m-many people are c-coming?"

Fishlegs again noted the nervous tone and stiff form of his friend. "I'm not entirely sure. It's the first meeting of the school year and the church staff have been working hard on inviting everyone they meet at freshmen orientations over the summer. There could be quite a few. Hopefully closer to thirty. We ended the spring semester with about eighteen students attending each week on average. We're hoping to grow enough to possibly start another homegroup." As he spoke he watched Hiccup's face grow pale. The boy's dark brows scrunched up in worry. His breathing started coming in quick small gasps.

As he sunk into a nearby armchair Hiccup could only give one response, "Oh." His stomach twisted in anxiety. _This won't be good,_ thought Hiccup.

Fishlegs entered back into the living, concern written all over his face. He was about to say something when footsteps were heard rushing down the stairs. Both boys looked up to see Astrid coming down the steps. She smiled upon seeing her friends but soon faltered at the sight of worry in the face of the blonde and what looked like true _fear_ in the face of the ginger. "Is everything okay?" she asked. Fishlegs looked back down toward the slumped figure in the chair. Hiccup looked down at his lap.

"I-I..." Hiccup trailed off. He continued to look at his hands as he fiddled with a loose string on his torn jeans. This was embarrassing. He was already panicking and there were only two people there. He couldn't do this. He couldn't. "I'm s-sorry," he chocked. "I don't know if I-I c-can..." His breath hitched. The two blondes that stood near looked at each other and locked eyes. Astrid held a questioning gaze.

Fishlegs explained, "I don't think he knew exactly how many people would be coming until now." Astrid finally understood and her expression softened when she turned back to the scared young man.

She crouched in front of Hiccup and angled her head up to look into his face. Once she had his attention Astrid spoke. "Hiccup, are you nervous about being around so many people?" He gave a small nod. "It'll be okay Hiccup. Our homegroup is like family. We are all accepting of each other and I'd like to think that we're all pretty inviting. You won't be the only nervous visitor either." Hiccup's tense and hunched posture eased some at her words and his anxiety level lowered significantly at her next words. "Just stick with me or Fish. We won't leave your side." She smiled when he finally lifted his head. The corners of Hiccup's mouth turned upwards ever slightly in return.

"Thanks," said Hiccup. "I d-don't do to well in c-crowds." Both he and Astrid stood up next to one another. Astrid gave him a quick encouraging side hug. His heart fluttered at the contact.

"I get it Hiccup," said Fishlegs. "I used to be in your shoes. In high school I used to have panic attacks every time I had to do a presentation in class." He grinned in amusement at Hiccup's surprise.

"H-How did you get over it?" replied the younger student.

"I didn't really. I still get a bit nervous but then I got more involved in my youth group at church and now I'm on the leadership team here at the Hope Church. Once I had something meaningful to share God gave me the confidence and voice." He smiled again at Hiccup's curiosity. That's what he was hoping for. He knew Hiccup was curious about his faith. What else would have brought him to homegroup despite having to deal with fear of crowds? Hiccup wanted to know how Fishlegs and Astrid were so full of care and kindness and Fishlegs was more than happy to share his beliefs with Hiccup.

Astrid saw Hiccup's curiosity too and smiled. She put her hand on his shoulder and said "I think you'll like what Lucas is talking about today."

Fishlegs turned to Astrid. "Oh. Did he tell you what the discussion was about?" When she nodded he continued. "I really liked his idea when he told the rest of the leadership team at our meeting. Do you know what else we talked about?" He gave her a knowing smirk. Astrid quirked her head in confusion. "We were thinking about adding you to the team next semester. Your dad was pretty happy when we told him." He laughed as Astrid pumped her fist in excitement.

Hiccup knew that Astrid's dad was a pastor from the paper she had written. He realized that Astrid must have been involved in this homegroup perhaps a little longer than Fishlegs but had been too young to join this leadership team they talked about. After all, she was still a freshman like himself.

Hiccup's thoughts were interrupted when the front door opened to reveal three more confident smiling people. Did everyone in this group smile this much? The first to enter was a green-eyed girl with black hair braided over her left shoulder She wore a grey sweater and a pair of dark blue skinny jeans. Her smile was bright and grew even bigger at seeing her friends. She gave Astrid a hug in greeting. Following the girl was another girl just as cheerful as the first. She had long hair dyed a bright purple color. She had brown eyes and a septum piercing adorning her nose. She wore a mustard colored sweater and black leggings. She was a little bigger than the other girl and looked a little older. The last person to follow was a tall male student, only about a year older than Fishlegs. He wore a simple red t-shirt and jeans with a black bomber jacket. He had short brown hair and comforting blue eyes.

The five close friends greeted each other with hugs, high fives, and laughs. Astrid, not wanting her friend to be left out, gestured to Hiccup and introduced him to the new comers. "Hiccup, this is Heather, Cloe, and Lucas." She pointed to the black-haired girl, then the girl with purple hair, and lastly the man. "They're also a part of the leadership team." Lucas was the first to shake Hiccup's hand and the others repeated the gesture.

Cloe broke away from the group to put down a gallon of sweet tea she carried in on the snack table. "I hate to say hi and leave so quickly but I still have to go pick up two more freshmen. I just wanted to drop this off," she said. After waving bye she left as quickly as she came.

Lucas laughed as Cloe shut the door. "She's got her priorities right. Sweet tea over bringing students to church," he said sarcastically. They all chuckled. "I brought one freshman but his on the phone with his dad outside right now. He'll be in in a minute. His name is Scott but for some reason he prefers 'Snotlout.'" He used his fingers to make air quotes around the strange nickname. No one noticed when Hiccup stiffened at the name.

Fishlegs nodded and asked Heather, "Did you bring anyone Heather?"

"I had two freshmen that said they wanted to come but they flaked off at the last minute," she replied.

As the group continued to make small talk Hiccup had quietly stepped away back toward the kitchen. _Snotlout was here?_ He hadn't seen the stalky boy in a few years. He had hoped to never see his childhood bully ever again. He didn't think that Snotlout would even go to college let alone the same university as himself. Snotlout had repeated second grade and bullied his younger classmates ever since. Hiccup was thankful when he stopped going to the same school.

As Hiccup half-heartedly searched through the snacks provided dreading the reunion that was about to transpire Astrid noticed his absence in the living room. When a gap in conversation came around she lowered her voice and said "I'm gonna go check on him." She gestured toward the kitchen with her head. Fishlegs nodded in understanding and while he explained the shy actions of the boy Astrid made her way to the kitchen.

"Hey," Astrid greeted softly causing Hiccup to look up at her. "You okay?" He looked down again. "Too many people?"

His response surprised her. "N-No. Your f-f-friends seem great."

"Then what is it?" Astrid grew confused. There was so much she wanted to know about the boy. There seemed to be a lot of struggles he was trying to face by himself. She wanted him to know that he didn't need to go through everything on his own. He had her and the rest of the group even if he hasn't met them all. Most of all, she wanted him to experience God just as she has. She wanted him to find solace and grace in the Lord. She knew he needed Him.

Hiccup looked up and was very hesitant in saying "I know S-Snotlout. He... He b-bullied me in grade school." Understanding and sympathy swept through Astrid. This was the first time Hiccup had talked about his past. Those two small sentences had a big reveal. He was bullied. That may explain his reserved personality. "I-I haven't seen him in a f-few years."

Astrid nodded before moving closer. "He may have changed." She knew that offered little comfort but it was obvious that Hiccup hadn't thought of that. He looked up to her again, his eyes brightened. "Maybe you two could start over." Hiccup smiled at her encouraging words but still looked doubtful. He was about to reply when the front door opened and in came the subject of their conversation.

Snotlout hadn't grown more than a few inches from the last time Hiccup had set eyes on him. The boy was still stalky and had a lot of muscle. His brown hair was shaggy reaching down to his shoulders. He had icy blue eyes that darted around taking in his environment. Hiccup went unnoticed as he and Astrid came back into the main living area. The others all greeted him and made introductions. When Hiccup was finally noticed by his past enemy he had on a look of curiosity yet again. Snotlout's whole demeaner and self-absorbed attitude had completely changed and this simply left the younger boy utterly bewildered. Snotlout looked slightly shocked upon seeing Hiccup. Snotlout, who had seemed so happy and confident when he had first walked in, started to shuffle his feet in a shy way never seen before in him. He bowed his head while looking up with his eyes toward Hiccup. "Hey man. It's, uh... nice to see you again." Was it?

o0o

 **AN: Okay, so we've got a few new characters that have been introduced along with an original HTTYD character and an original TV character. The twins will come in the next chapter along with Dagur. I know some of you may be curious about how the dragons will be written in. I don't think I'm going to bring in all of them. Toothless will for sure make an appearance but that won't be until way later.**

 **I'm not sure if I regret giving Hiccup a stutter or not. It can get kind of annoying to write let alone read through it but I still like the idea of having that metaphorical barrier to opening up to others. I think he'll lose it near the ending once he gets some confidence. It's sort of psychological, you know?**

 **I was gonna add more to this chapter but I figured this was a good stopping point. We did learn a bit more about Hiccup and his past. Enough to keep you guys interested I hope. I hope I'm not making Hiccup look completely pathetic but I'm gonna be giving him a lot of heavy stuff to exemplify how God can help anyone through anything.**

 **I'll be starting on Chapter 5 this week but I'll be out of state this coming weekend and college classes start back up next week too. Chapter 5 will involve a bible lesson of sorts. It won't go too in depth because it will also follow Hiccup's thoughts and perspective mostly.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Please review!**

 **-ET**


	6. Chapter 5: Anxiety

**AN: So sorry about the late update. I needed to figure this out. I like a lot of what I put in here but I'm not sure whether or not I should have included more into the bible study. I sort of skimmed through it since it didn't really have any specific meaning in the actual plot line.**

 **In this chapter Hiccup has almost no dialogue. He's simply observing. This sort of just explains the home group set up. I wanted to include this though to kind of show Hiccup's anxiety and how he will possibly start to trust in Fishlegs a bit more. This will also stack more questions onto Hiccup's plate. He's also pretty nervous about being around Snotlout again. In the last chapter Hiccup says he hadn't seen him in few years. To be more specific, they hadn't seen each other since freshmen year of high school which will briefly be mentioned. It'll be explained why they haven't seen each other in a future chapter. Probably the next one. The hunk of Hiccup's background or 'testimony' won't be revealed until even later.**

 **I want to note again like I already in did in my author's notes in chapter one that this is indeed a religious story. You don't have to read if you don't want to. I don't intend to write anything accusatory or offensive either. I do ask that you be considerate when writing reviews for my sake and other religious readers. Also, because not all of this is fiction. I'm using just a bit of my personal experience in the story. Thanks.**

 **Shout out to Grizzly98 who reviewed my 'The One-Legged Truth' story. You understand what this site is all about: self-expression. Thank you so much for reading my stories. I don't know if you're following this one but I hope you read this. Thanks for the review.**

 **I am loving all the reviews on this story! I really appreciate you guys giving me feedback and encouraging me to continue. Thank you.**

 **I don't own How to Train Your Dragon or the song Come to the Alter that's used in this chapter.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

 **-ET**

There was silence as Hiccup took in the sight of the surprisingly timid Snotlout. Hiccup looked him over and noted the backpack that hung on his shoulders. He was pretty certain that Snotlout never carried a backpack when they went to school together. In fact, every class he walked into he'd take pencils from other students to do his work; _if_ he did his work.

He never carried a backpack. He was just like those bullies on those silly TV shows or in those cheaply made movies about morals. He was big like bullies on TV. He laughed and scorned. He pushed and shoved. Just like on TV... He was never scared of teachers. He wasn't scared of anything. He was the perfect image; perfect example of the American bully. One that would never change.

And now, he cowers. He's cowering in front of the face of abused innocence; his biggest victim. He's cowering in front of his past as it stares back at him.

Hiccup's former image of Snotlout started to crumble at that exact moment. _What happened?_ This was not the same boy from freshmen year of high school. How was he to respond to Snotlout who was no longer Snotlout? Should he acknowledge the former or the latter? They're two distinctly different people. Who was real?

The silence that reigned for a total of five seconds seemed to have lasted an eternity. The absence of utterance, word, and sound ended when the front door burst opened and so also the flood gates. Students started to pour into the house which suddenly seemed much smaller to Hiccup. Old friends greeted each other and introduced themselves to the new as Hiccup tried his best to stay out of the way. His breathing started to become labored as the noise increased. People started to notice him and greet him. He tried his best to remember each face and to keep the sweat off his palms as he shook hands with everyone. He registered the loud boisterous sound of the twins, whom he assumed were the same people from Astrid's story about the giant traffic cone. Even those distinct voices soon blended into the constant, rumbling reverberation that filled his ears. His heart sped up. He looked around in almost desperation for a familiar blonde.

As quickly as the noise overcame his senses, the sounds settled into distinguishable speech as he felt a hand fall onto his shoulder gaining his focus. He turned to see Fishlegs offering a comforting glance and a smile as he stuck by his side. He stuck close to Fishlegs and when he found a seat in the living room Hiccup was quick to find his own. He didn't want to have to sit of the floor and try to find a way back up again later. By the time Chloe returned, everyone had settled into the same living space and soon the bible study was in full swing. Hiccup would have to worry about Snotlout later. For now, he had questions he wished to be answered.

He listened as Astrid sang the lyrics to _Come to the Altar._ The song had a very simple yet blunt message, one you couldn't miss; God is welcoming, come to him. Hiccup understood the lyrics but wasn't ready to believe them. He wondered what the point of the song was if it was meant for those who haven't heard of coming to the Lord; like himself. The song insists on going to the Lord if you are struggling but why? Hiccup didn't know God. Wasn't this god like any other deity in any other religion? Demanding? Domineering? Overbearing? Intimidating? As the song went on he realized he was, perhaps, also _'hurting and broken within.'_ As Astrid sang the next line " _forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ"_ Hiccup continued to wonder what those words meant. He's been to Sunday school as a child and has heard the Easter story and Christmas story plenty of times. _Why were these people so focused on these legends that Hiccup grew to believe were mere fictitious fantasies?_

He didn't sing along with the others and was content with listening to Astrid's soft voice and the surprisingly good voice of his friend and roommate that sat next to him. Hiccup reasoned that his questions would be answered during the discussion portion of the night, not that he planned on talking. He just hoped that whatever Lucas talked about would satisfy his curiosity. Though, his curiosity had grown and he now had a great interest in what this was all about. He desired to know everything. He and Fishlegs were friends now. Maybe, if his questions weren't answered tonight, Hiccup could ask Fishlegs directly.

Astrid played a couple more confusing songs before she prayed and let Lucas take over. She had said that anyone could pray in between songs but because the majority of people were new, only she and one other leader, Cloe, spoke. Hiccup figured he wasn't the only one too shy.

"Okay, so, snacks are in the kitchen. We can take a few minutes to mingle and get drinks before meeting back in here," stated Lucas. Not wanting to lose his seat, Hiccup stayed where he was. Fishlegs left in a hurry to get food before everyone else took everything. Hiccup became nervous again, afraid that someone would try to start up a conversation. Luckily, Fishlegs took no time to get what he wanted before returning to his side. Hiccup felt a bit ridiculous and a little pathetic when thinking about how much he relied on his friend to stay close and keep him calm. He thought of himself as a burden and he hated how dependent he was on others, whether it was because of his disability or his insecurities.

Fishlegs handed him a bottled water and Hiccup nodded in thanks. He was quick to swallow a few sips in hopes of cooling down while in an overcrowded room. His eyes continuously darted about the room until Fishlegs spoke. Once again Hiccup was grateful to place his focus on one thing to keep his mind occupied. "You alright?" asked Fishlegs.

"Y-Yea. I'm j-just n-not used to b-being around so m-many people," replied Hiccup. He looked down to his lap and fiddled with the fray of his jeans.

"What about your classes?" Asked Fishlegs. "They can be crowded. Even more so."

Hiccup could understand his confusion. "Well...," he started. "I'm n-not really p-pressured into social interactions during l-l-lecture classes. I still get a b-bit anxious though." He looked up to see Fishlegs nod in understanding. "I used to b-be on medication but..." _Oh, why did I say that?_ Hiccup looked back down at his lap. He didn't want to get into the reason _why_ he wasn't on medication _now_. Fishlegs was his friend. Hiccup didn't want his friend to suddenly have pity for him. He didn't want his friends to think about every issue he had every time they laid eyes on him. He desperately wanted to be something more to them. He always wanted to be more.

Fishlegs saw that Hiccup had revealed more than he intended to. He also caught the look of sadness that had briefly filled the smaller boy's eyes before looking down. Fishlegs knew that trust would come with time. For now, he thought it best to have a change in topic. "How are your classes going? Do you like them?"

Hiccup looked up again. He visibly relaxed at the subject change. "Yea," he replied. "I still w-wish I had labs this semester." Fishlegs chuckled at his response.

"I don't think I've ever met anyone who was excited about labs before," said Fishlegs. They continued to make small talk while the others were getting comfortable in their seats once they had their fill on snacks. After about ten minutes Lucas called for everyone's attention. "Alright guys. Time to get started. So, there's quite a few new faces I see. I wanted to apologize for not having the opportunity for introductions. Usually we'll have a game or some other 'ice breaker' before worship so everyone could get comfortable but we started a little later than anticipated. We'll be able to do that next week."

Oh, Hiccup was so glad they missed out on that.

"I do want to ask one question though," continued Lucas. "How many of you were a bit scared of being on your own when you moved away from home to go to Berk U?" Hiccup scrunched his eyebrows in confusion as he looked around the room. People were expected to answer that? Slowly, one by one, the majority of students raised their hand. Hiccup was also scared to be on his own as he had been for a while yet he hesitated to raise his hand. Everyone seemed to be completely okay with revealing that one bit of weakness but he believed he already had so many obvious weaknesses that he didn't want to show another. Then he saw the hand of his childhood tormentor slowly raise into the air as well. Snotlout was afraid? Somehow that broke any wall of intimidation the question once held and hesitantly, Hiccup also raised his hand.

Lucas nodded his head and all hands lowered. "I was too. I was totally a momma's boy." Chuckles rolled around the room. "Today we're going talk about fear. Fear is something we _all_ struggle with. It can take up our lives and stop us from achieving our goals. It can stop us from standing up for ourselves or for others; stop us from taking a step forward into the unknown. But God has overcome the world. He provides comfort and shelter. Daily we struggle with fear and daily we need to remember to turn to God in the face of anxiety. Philippians four verse six says this, 'do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.'" Lucas looked up from his notes and gazed about the room. "Let's pray." He then bowed his head as others followed his example. "God, thank you for this opportunity to come together..."

After his prayer Lucas went on to talk about how the Lord overcame the world and listed ways to practice faith and to rely on the Lord daily. Throughout the discussion Hiccup's list of questions continued to grow steadily. This God, this deity, why would this 'Lord of all' care about one's fears of the world? Lucas explained that while God had the power to do anything, He chooses to not simply take one out of a scary environment, but rather walk alongside; to strengthen them. That bit was still very confusing to the boy.

Lucas prayed one more time to close out the session before Cloe shared announcements. She shared information about group hangouts and when church was on Sunday. Hiccup took note of the Sunday service. While he still had questions he wanted answered, the people were also nice enough and he wouldn't mind going. After all, no one really had to participate during a service, right? He could just observe. His thoughts were interrupted when Cloe continued. "And now, we have life groups. So, students are broken up into smaller groups so you guys can talk about what you learned this week or just about life and what's on your heart. Don't worry; girls and boys will be separated. They won't be mixed. This will give you an opportunity to open up in a more private setting."

 _Wait, what!?_ The only thing Hiccup was aware he was participating in was the bible study. Now he had to join a group of boys and talk about _life?_ What does that mean? Hiccup's eyes widened. He couldn't be in a life group. He couldn't talk in front of more than one person at a time. Certainly not about himself. Maybe he could get Fishlegs to take him back to the dorm...

"The life groups are led by members of the leadership team who consists of Heather, Lucas, Fishlegs, and myself," explained Cloe. _Well, there goes that plan_ , thought Hiccup. Fishlegs was his ride but he had to lead a life group so there was no way out of this. Hiccup zoned out while Cloe called names and directed them to their appropriate leader. He was slightly panicked. He hoped he was at least grouped in with Fishlegs. His mind was pulled back into the present when Cloe said "There are surprisingly a lot more girls than boys. So, there really aren't enough boys to do two life groups so all of you guys, Fish, Lucas, Hiccup, Tuffnut, and Snotlout, will be in one."

 _Oh, no,_ thought Hiccup. He will be in the same group as _Snotlout? Crap._

 **AN: I don't really know a lot about mental health and I don't pretend to be an expert. I just write what works. I don't mean to offend anyone. I still have anxiety but not as much as Hiccup and I wasn't completely sure on how to write that in. Let me know if you have suggestions on what to include about anxiety. I know it doesn't all magically go away one day but Hiccup will gain more confidence throughout the story.**

 **Also, for those of you who are bold enough, I'd love to hear what bible verses this reminds you of or if you have one you'd like me to base a chapter or short story off of.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **-ET**


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